Thursday, March 18, 2010

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

We had a wonderful day dinner with family and friends. It was so nice to relax and enjoy. For dinner I made Corned beef & cabbage with potatoes and carrots, Irish soda bread and for dessert Guinness cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting YUMMMMM.

For the corned beef I open a bottle of Guinness dump it into the pot and then put the corned beef in and simmer on low all day long. An hour before dinner I put in quartered potatoes and baby carrots, when the potatoes are done and take everything except the broth out of that pot and add to the boiling broth my cut up cabbage (Billy doesn’t like cabbage so I don’t mix it all together) and boil for about 10-15 min & then serve it all up.

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants• 4 tablespoons sugar• 1 teaspoon baking soda• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest• 1 cup dried currantsDirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**I made it the night before and stored it in a very large airtight Ziploc bag, warmed it up before dinner**